1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method, a system and a computer usable medium storing a program for billing on the Internet, and, more particularly, to a method, a system and a computer usable medium storing a program for billing for a chargeable service on the Internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a billing system for a chargeable service on the Internet, there have been a system using a credit card, a members-only system for a specific service and so on. For using such systems, a user must become a member of the credit card or a member of the service provider. Then, the user will be provided with service within a limited scope. Also, there have been billing systems using prepaid cards. As an example of such billing systems using prepaid cards, the Japanese laid-open patent application No.9-251494 discloses xe2x80x9ca payment system using a virtual prepaid card.xe2x80x9d In the following, a general outline of the steps for a payment by this system will be described.
(step 1) A general member""s terminal makes a request of a payment center of the system for a virtual prepaid card. Then, the payment center provides the general member with the virtual prepaid card after acknowledging receipt of money from the general member. For adding money to the payment server of the system, the general member may use a credit card, may deposit into a predetermined bank account in connection with the payment server, or the like.
(step 2) After obtaining the virtual prepaid card, the general member selects wanted goods from a list of goods, which list is sent from a shop member""s terminal via a network, and displayed on the general member""s terminal. Then, the general member completes the order.
(step 3) The general member sends a payment instruction (such as a transaction number), which is signed electronically and encrypted, to the payment center from the general member""s terminal.
(step 4) After the payment center receives the payment instruction, it verifies the electronic signature and checks whether the instruction is really sent from an authorized general member. Then, the payment center checks a balance of the virtual prepaid card of the general member.
(step 5) If the procedures of step 1-step 4 are complete correctly, the payment center sends a payment notice (such as a transaction number), which is signed electronically and encrypted, to the shop member""s terminal. At the same time, the payment center sends an updated balance of the virtual prepaid card to the general member""s terminal. As a result of this, the payment from the general member to the shop member is completed.
(step 6) The shop member""s terminal which received the payment notice verifies the electronic signature and checks whether the notice is really sent from an authorized payment center. Then, the shop member sends the selected goods to the general member.
However, there are disadvantages of the above-mentioned systems. To use services provided by the above-mentioned systems, a user must become a member of the credit card or a member of the service provider. Therefore, the number of users will be limited. Also, to become a member of the credit card or the service provider, one must disclose personal information to the credit card provider or the service provider, and cannot use the service without disclosing the personal information. Further, the procedure for becoming a member is complicated and is not convenient. Furthermore, sending a credit card number on the Internet introduces a risk of interception and abuse of the credit card number by a third party.
Also, in the above-mentioned xe2x80x9ca payment system using a virtual prepaid card,xe2x80x9d after the completion of the order process between the general member""s terminal and the shop member""s terminal, the payment center performs the payment process in accordance with the instruction from the general member. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that the system receives an order from a general member""s terminal without verification of the general member and balance of the virtual prepaid card. Accordingly, in the above-mentioned xe2x80x9ca payment system using a virtual prepaid card,xe2x80x9d a fraudulent order by an ill-intentioned third party cannot be rejected. Also, the system cannot reject an order from a general member""s terminal even if the balance of the prepaid card of the member is not enough. Further, the system cannot refuse an order even if the payment center is not operating.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an Internet billing method, system and a computer usable medium which can reject invalid orders with reliability, and which can be used without a credit card.
The above object of the present invention is achieved by an Internet billing method which makes billing on the Internet possible, wherein the method includes the steps of:
making a request, by a terminal, of a content server for a chargeable service by using a prepaid information medium which has predetermined information necessary for transactions;
making a request, by the content server, of a prepaid information management server for authentication to check whether the prepaid information medium is authorized to be used for the chargeable service, and for billing for the prepaid information medium;
authenticating, by the prepaid information management server, the prepaid information medium;
performing, by the prepaid information management server, the billing for the prepaid information medium on the basis of usage of the chargeable service; and
providing the terminal, by the content server, with the chargeable service.
In the above Internet billing method, a password included in the predetermined information may be input to the terminal by a user instead of from the prepaid information medium.
The above object of the present invention is also achieved by an Internet billing method which makes billing on the Internet possible, the method including the steps of:
making a request, by a terminal, of a content server for a service menu by using a prepaid information medium which has predetermined information necessary for transactions;
sending the service menu to the terminal by the content server;
making a request, by the terminal, of the content server for a chargeable service upon selecting needed service by a user;
making a request, by the content server, of a prepaid information management server for authentication to check whether the prepaid information medium is authorized to be used for the chargeable service, and for billing for the prepaid information medium;
sending, by the terminal, to the prepaid information management server, an ID stored in the prepaid information medium upon receipt of a request from the prepaid information management server;
sending information for authentication to the terminal by the prepaid information management server;
performing a predetermined operation of concatenation of the information and a password by the terminal;
sending a result of the operation to the prepaid information management server;
performing, by the prepaid information management server, the same operation as performed in the terminal of concatenation of the information and the password of the prepaid information medium, which password is stored in a database, and authenticating the prepaid information medium by verifying a result of the operation against the result sent from the terminal;
searching the database for a balance of the prepaid card having the ID, and performing billing with reference to the balance, by the prepaid information management server;
notifying the terminal of information including the balance of the prepaid information medium by the prepaid information management server if both authentication and billing succeed; and
providing, by the content server, the chargeable service to the terminal.
In the Internet billing method, the password may be input to the terminal by a user instead of from the prepaid information medium.
The above object of the present invention is achieved by, in an Internet billing system which makes billing on the Internet possible, in which system at least one terminal, at least one content server and at least one prepaid information management server are connected to a network, a method for controlling the terminal, the method including the steps of:
accessing the content server on the basis of address information stored in a prepaid information medium which has predetermined information necessary for transactions, and making a request for a service menu;
making a request of the content server for a chargeable service;
sending, upon receipt of a request from the prepaid information management server, an ID stored in the prepaid information medium to the prepaid information management server;
receiving information for authentication from the prepaid information management server, reading out a password stored in the prepaid information medium, performing a predetermined operation on concatenation of the information and the password, and sending a result of the operation to the prepaid information management server; and
writing information including a balance of the prepaid information medium to the prepaid information medium on the basis of notification from the prepaid information management server.
The above object of the present invention is also achieved by, in an Internet billing system which makes billing on the Internet possible, in which system at least one terminal, at least one content server and at least one prepaid information management server are connected to a network, a method for controlling the content server, the method including the steps of:
receiving a request for a service menu from the terminal on the basis of address information stored in a prepaid information medium which has predetermined information necessary for transactions, and sending the service menu to the terminal;
receiving a request for a chargeable service from the terminal;
making a request of the prepaid information management server for authentication by sending a message which includes an address of the terminal to the prepaid information management server, and for billing for the prepaid information medium by sending a number of points necessary for the chargeable service; and
providing the chargeable service to the terminal if both the authentication and billing succeed.
The above object of the present invention is also achieved by, in an Internet billing system which makes billing on the Internet possible, in which system at least one terminal, at least one content server and at least one prepaid information management server are connected to a network, a method for controlling the prepaid information management server, the method including the steps of:
receiving a request for authentication of a prepaid information medium, used at the terminal, which prepaid information medium has predetermined information necessary for transactions, and for billing for the prepaid information medium;
making a request for an ID stored in the prepaid information medium, and receiving the ID;
sending information for authentication to the terminal;
receiving a result of an operation performed by the terminal;
performing the same operation as performed in the terminal by referring to a database which stores prepaid information, and authenticating the prepaid information medium by verifying a result of the operation against a result sent from the terminal;
decrementing a balance of the prepaid information medium by necessary points if the authentication succeeds; and
notifying the terminal of information which includes the decremented balance of the prepaid information medium.
The above object of the present invention is also achieved by an Internet billing system which makes billing on the Internet possible, the Internet billing system including at least one terminal, at least one content server and at least one prepaid information management server which are connected to a network,
wherein the terminal includes:
a part for making a request of the content server for a chargeable service by using a prepaid information medium;
wherein the content server includes:
a part for making a request of the prepaid information management server for authentication to check whether the prepaid information medium is authorized to be used for the chargeable service;
a part for making a request of the prepaid information management server for billing for the prepaid information medium; and
a part for providing the chargeable service to the terminal; and
wherein the prepaid information management server includes:
a part for authenticating the prepaid information medium; and
a part for performing the billing for the prepaid information medium on the basis of usage of the chargeable service.
The above object of the present invention is also achieved by an Internet billing system which makes billing on the Internet possible, the Internet billing system including at least one terminal, at least one content server and at least one prepaid information management server which are connected to a network,
wherein the terminal includes:
a part for making a request of the content server for a chargeable service by using a prepaid information medium which has predetermined information necessary for transactions;
a part for sending an ID stored in the prepaid information medium upon receipt of a request from the prepaid information management server;
a part for reading out a password stored in the prepaid information medium on the basis of information for authentication received from the prepaid information management server, performing a predetermined operation and sending a result of the operation to the prepaid information management server; and
a part for writing information including a balance of the prepaid information medium to the prepaid information medium on the basis of notification from the prepaid information management server;
wherein the content server includes:
a part for making a request of the prepaid information management server for authentication to check whether the prepaid information medium is authorized to be used for the chargeable service;
a part for making a request of the prepaid information management server for billing for the prepaid information medium; and
a part for providing the chargeable service to the terminal if both authentication and billing succeed; and
wherein the prepaid information management server includes:
a part for authenticating the prepaid information medium at the terminal upon receipt of a request for authentication from the content server;
a part for performing the billing on the basis of usage of the chargeable service; and
a part for notifying the terminal of information including the balance of the prepaid information medium.
The above object of the present invention is also achieved by an article of manufacture including a computer usable medium having computer-readable code means embodied therein for causing, in an Internet billing system which makes billing on the Internet possible, in which system at least one terminal, at least one content server and at least one prepaid information management server are connected to a network, a computer to control the terminal, the computer readable code means including:
computer-readable program code means for accessing the content server on the basis of address information stored in a prepaid information medium which has predetermined information necessary for transactions, and making a request for a service menu;
computer-readable program code means for making a request of the content server for a chargeable service;
computer-readable program code means for sending, upon receipt of a request from the prepaid information management server, an ID stored in the prepaid information medium to the prepaid information management server;
computer-readable program code means for receiving information for authentication from the prepaid information management server, reading out a password stored in the prepaid information medium, performing a predetermined operation of concatenation of the information and the password, and sending a result of the operation to the prepaid information management server; and
computer-readable program code means for writing information including a balance of the prepaid information medium to the prepaid information medium on the basis of notification from the prepaid information management server.
The above object of the present invention is achieved by an article of manufacture including a computer usable medium having computer-readable code means embodied therein for causing, in an Internet billing system which makes billing on the Internet possible, in which system at least one terminal, at least one content server and at least one prepaid information management server are connected to a network, a computer to control the content server, the computer readable code means including:
computer-readable program code means for receiving a request for a service menu sent from the terminal on the basis of address information stored in a prepaid information medium which has predetermined information necessary for transactions, and sending the service menu to the terminal;
computer-readable program code means for receiving a request for a chargeable service from the terminal;
computer-readable program code means for making a request of the prepaid information management server for authentication by sending a message which includes an address of the terminal to the prepaid information management server;
computer-readable program code means for billing for the prepaid information medium by sending a point number necessary for the chargeable service; and
computer-readable program code means for providing the terminal with the chargeable service if both authentication and billing succeed.
The above object of the present invention is also achieved by an article of manufacture including a computer usable medium having computer-readable code means embodied therein for causing, in an Internet billing system which makes billing on the Internet possible, in which system at least one terminal, at least one content server and at least one prepaid information management server are connected to a network, a computer to control the prepaid information management server, the computer readable code means including:
computer-readable program code means for receiving a request for authentication of a prepaid information medium, used at the terminal, which prepaid information medium has predetermined information necessary for transactions, and for billing for the prepaid information medium;
computer-readable program code means for making a request for an ID stored in the prepaid information medium, and receiving the ID;
computer-readable program code means for sending information for authentication to the terminal;
computer-readable program code means for receiving a result of an operation performed by the terminal;
computer-readable program code means for performing the same operation as performed in the terminal by referring to a database which stores prepaid information, and authenticating the prepaid information medium by verifying a result of the operation against the result sent from the terminal;
computer-readable program code means for decrementing a balance of the prepaid information medium by necessary points if the authentication succeeds; and
computer-readable program code means for notifying the terminal of information which includes the decremented balance of the prepaid information medium.
The above object of the present invention is also achieved by an IC card, in an Internet billing system which makes billing on the Internet possible, in which system at least one terminal, at least one content server and at least one prepaid information management server are connected to a network, the IC card including:
a part for connecting to the terminal;
predetermined information, which includes a password, necessary for transactions;
a part for retrieving information on authentication of the IC card from the prepaid information management server; and
a part for performing a predetermined operation on the password and the retrieved information,
wherein the terminal sends a result of the operation to the prepaid information management server, and the prepaid information management server authenticates the IC card by performing the same operation as performed in the IC card and by verifying a result of the same operation against the result of the operation performed in the IC card.
According to the present invention, the content server receives a chargeable service request from the terminal only when the authentication and billing are completed successfully, so that the content server can reject invalid orders with reliability.
Also, according to the present invention, secret information of the prepaid information medium such as the password can be reliably prevented from being obtained by an invalid content server.
Further, the prepaid information management server writes the balance and the date and time of use of service if the authentication and billing are completed successfully, so that a user of the prepaid information medium can know the balance and the history of use on the terminal without accessing the prepaid information management server.